Fire Emblem Shadow's Glove
by Prince Epharoth
Summary: An original story inspired by the Fire Emblem series. Titles, and all other copywritten material belong to Nintendo. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Warning: Death IS implied.
1. Chapter 1

FIRE EMBLEM

The Shadow's Glove

The forest of Uta'fa was extremely dark this evening, except for a single light playing amongst the gnarled trees. The trees were of the softwood family and grew up extraordinarily tall for this side of the country, but that was the least of Berin's worries. He stood silently, mesmerized by the dancing flames he had whipped up while the sun was still out. The moon was nowhere to be seen and that only added to the eerie darkness.

Two more people stood around the fire. Their faces masked by the contrast in shadows. One of them was too, mesmerized by the fire's dance. While the other merely smiled at the fire, unworried in the slightest of the darkness which surrounded the three.

"We have gathered on this spot for the last five years." Berin said, breaking the silence, and shaking off the fire's mesmerization "Sadly, we can continue this no longer. The governor of Felac Deson has requested a gathering of all the Neighbouring Countries on Summons Hill, as you are no doubt aware, I, too, must go."

The one that had remained mesmerized looked up in disbelief, but remained silent. The other continued to smile into the fire.

"I'm afraid that this will be the last time the three of us will meet like this. Goodbye, my friends."

Summons Hill. Commander Glenn despised the place and all that it stood for. He was a soldier, and a loyal one to boot, but he just did not believe that a gathering of old men would settle anything. He glared up at the unrelenting sun as it reached down in powerful golden rays to . . . bake the earth and all its inhabitants, in Glenn's opinion.

"Let's see now," He said out loud to himself. "There's the governor of Felac Deson, King Abrachan of Loreis, Emperor Rye of the Fabled City-States, and Mistress Felia of the Gothan Wastelands. Rumour has it that Felac Deson has just appointed a new Governor. That's probably what this is all about."

"Worried?" A young man rode up to him, his beamed as brightly as the sun reflecting off his well polished armour as he shifted in his saddle. It was Ryan, a Cavalier under Commander Glenn's instructions. Glenn had taken a liking to the young lad, he was bright, cunning and skillful, spitting image of himself.

Ryan's happy gaze became more serious as he looked towards Summon Hill, where the Countries Leaders were meeting. "So I am." Ryan said.

"Worried? Only about melting in this blasted sunlight!" Commander Glenn said rubbing at a smudge on his bulky breastplate. The Commander was a slightly overweight fellow, his hair peppered with grey to show his age, he had a stubby mustache and a receding hairline. Sweat began to run down his face as he slowly cooked in his armour. "I hope they finish soon."

"His Majesty, King Abrachan, asked me to locate the Prince, have you seen him?" Ryan asked, again shifting to find a comfortable position upon his saddle.

"Prince Epharoth? No, hasn't seen him since he went out riding this morning. Went with General Jess, he did. Darn Jess, his Majesty should have placed Epharoth under my tutelage instead of that old fool's." General Jess was, in fact, ten years Glenn's junior, but Ryan knew better than to try and correct his superior."

"Alright, I check in with D'Arthony . . . if not, I could have some bad news for his Highness." And with that Ryan rode off as Glenn continued to curse the sun's heat.

Berin detested these meetings, but they did not happen all too frequently so he really couldn't complain. As a member of Abrachan's Personal Guard, he had the honour of bearing witness to these odd moment when the Leaders of the countries gathered. He stood by the entrance silently surveying the proceedings. He recognized his Lordship, King Abrachan, Emperor Rye, and Mistress Felia, but he did not recongize the fourth member at the table. He must be the representative for Felac Deson. Berin let out a light breath as he stood guard. He was General Jess's older brother and he was responsible for Jess to receive his rank. It had been offered to him by King Abrachan, but he felt Jess had a more tactically sound mind than his older brother and instead he had sworn to remain by his King's side as his personal bodyguard. But there were days, such as today where he had wished he could ride among the countryside like so many years ago.

"What is this about, Governor?" His Majesty, King Abrachan asked. He wore ceremonial robes, and like the other rulers present he did not wear his crown, in a gesture of equality, his hair and beard were a pale white and his face had weathered with age, but his clear blue eyes shone with that youthful wisdom they always had.

The new face smiled "I have been recently appointed as Felac Deson's ruler, as you have no doubt suspected and I merely wished to greet you all in person."

He had short indigo hair, a young face, indigo eyes and wore a simple brown robe which concealed the rest of his appearance.

"What is the meaning of this!" Emperor Rye said, quickly rising to his feet. Emperor Rye was well-known throughout the land as a legendary swordsman and a cunning tactician, and to see him angry was a sight not often forgotten. He had coal-black hair and wore a swordmaster's garb.

"Have you called us here out of mockery?" Mistress Felia stood, her golden hair tumbling down her shoulders. Out of all those present, she wore an attire most suited for the weather, a tight-fitting outfit that left her arms, shoulders, waist and lower legs bare. But it was to be expected of the ruler of the barren Gothan Wastelands.

"No," The unnamed Governor spoke softly, "I have called you here to inform you that Summons Hill is currently surrounded by the Felac Deson Regular Army, and that we have all your offspring under custody and unless you turn over all your land to me. They will all be killed."

Everyone stared in silence as the man rose. "You have 7 hours to make a decision or my men will believe something has happened to me and they will not hesitate to eliminate your children." He snapped his fingers as armed guards rushed into the room. There was a total of six guards to protect the other three leaders, including Berin, but they were horribly outnumbered. Berin reached towards his sword nonetheless, willing to die for his King's safety, if need be.

Commander Glenn opened his watering canteen and splashed some of the cool refreshing liquid onto his face. The water evaporated rather quickly and he cursed at its quick departure. He drove the butt-end of his lance into the ground so it stood up vertically on its own. A ribbon given to him by his daughter was tied tightly around the spear and so far it had given him good luck as long as he held it firmly in his grasp. He walked away and stood under the shade of a tree. Letting out a sigh he dropped on the spot.

It wasn't long before he heard the clatter of hooves on the dry dirt path, he counted them. Two riders. Probably Ryan and Prince Epharoth, he surmised, not bothering to get up from his shade. He closed his eyes, imagining how much his four year daughter had changed in the last two years.

Two hooded Cavaliers trotted to a stop in front of him. He opened his eyes as a lance was plunged into his chest. He grimaced in pain as the rider withdrew his lance from his flesh.

General Jess bounced in his saddle as raced down the dirt path. His sword drawn as he chased after the two hooded riders Prince Epharoth had discovered to be armed Mercenaries. The Prince followed closely behind him, he was garbed in a very ceremonial suit of armour, which cover his upper torso, underneath he wore a simple tunic and a two-coloured cape, the outside black and the inside red. He wore riding boots and tight-fitting leather gloves which went up to his elbows. A sword on his belt and a lance in his hand.

Jess had always admired the Prince, he was a fast learner, a great warrior, and an impressive tactician. He was even more impressed with how quickly the Prince could place his enemy's origin.

Earlier while hunting with the General, Epharoth had spotted the hidden riders and identified them as Mercenaries. Mercenaries gathered near Summons Hill could not be a good sign and the two rode their horses to the limit to reach the patrols before something could happen.

Ryan, the Cavalier who had earlier been conversing with Glenn pulled up alongside the two, "What's going on?" He asked.

"Mercenaries." The Prince said.

Ryan drew up his horse's reins, "But that–?" He pondered out loud, he then realized he was falling behind and kicked his horse forward.

The three riders spotted the two mercenaries under a tree, a lone spear stood in the ground, a ribbon flapped near it's tip. One of the mercenaries withdrew his spear from something behind the tree, and was followed by a human yelp.

Ryan identified the ribbon-clad spear as Commander Glenn's and he withdrew his longbow. Releasing an arrow at the assailants, the thin object flew towards the two and plunged into the mercenary who attacked Glenn. The other looked up, started by his friend's sudden and instant death, hauled on his horse's reins and took off.

The three riders rode up to the tree, the hooded assailant stared blankly at the sky.

Ryan leaped off his horse and rushed to the Commander's aid. The others followed. He was still alive.

"Felac Desonians." The Prince said, examining the fallen rider's face.

"But Felac Deson called this meeting to order . . ." General Jess informed no one in particular.

"The Meeting!" Ryan said quickly, "My Prince, Lord Abrachan wanted you to be present as it is only a year before you come of age! He could be in danger!"

The prince whirled around and ran towards Summons Hill, not even bothering to remount his horse.

"Epharoth!" The General called and he too ran off without his steed.


	2. Chapter 2

FIRE EMBLEM

The Shadow's Glove

Shadow's Shroud

The Prince stood at the base of the infamous Summons Hill, It had long been used as a meeting ground between the four countries as it lay directly between them. The vertex between the four quadrants. Summons Hill was a tall mount with a spiralling path that ran around the entire thing three times before it finally reached the 'Look Off.' 'The Look Off'was the name given to the building at the hill's tip. It was there that the four leaders gathered.

Fearing the worse, the Prince began his climb, but stopped momentary when General Jess called out.

"My liege! Wait!" Jess had yellow-green hair, a stubby goatee and wore a purple-violet bandanna around his forehead. "Look, on the cliff side. Felac Desonians!"

It was true, Felac Desonian Army personnel covered the entire cliff side, unlike the mercenaries, these troops wore full armour and carried pikes and lances. A handful of them also rode on horseback, fully-fledged, fully-trained Cavaliers.

Jess walked up to his Prince and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "This is what I've been training you for, let's see if you've really got what it takes."

Prince Epharoth nodded, raising his lance. The presence of the Felac Desonians confirmed that there was in fact a hostile presence because the countries armies were to remain nearby but not on Summons Hill, for it belonged to neither Felac Deson, Gothan, Loreis or the Fabled City-States. Neutral land.

Epharoth bolted up the pathway, lance at the ready, with the General on his heels. They ran for what felt like forever up the spinning pathway until they reached the first set of guards. Three armed pikemen. General Jess tucked his sword under his armpit so the blade stuck out at a forty-five degree angle behind his shoulder blade, he spun around, lifting his arm and the blade swung free as it carved a path through his opponent. Blood splashed onto the dry dirt pathway.

Prince Epharoth thrust his lance forward at his opponent's chest, he stopped before contact and flicked his wrist, causing the spear tip to point towards the man's groin, the guard's eyes bulged from his head. Then the Prince spun his arm at his elbow and brought the spear to level with the man's eyes. The guard fainted.

The General walked calmly towards his second opponent, who sweated horribly and gripped his spear with clammy hands. General Jess, then returned his sword under his arm and ducked as his ran towards the guard's legs. Releasing the blade from under his arm, the General turned and violently cut the man across the kneecaps. The Guard shivered with pain as the General kicked out his legs from underneath him and the Guard fell to his knees with a sounding crunch. The General then quickly put the man out of his misery.

"Let's go." He told the Prince. "There'll be more."

The two of them continued up the pathway, fighting their way through more and more opponents until finally coming up to a group of Cavaliers. The Felac Desonians grinned as they had the natural advantage. One of them started at the two opponents at a gallop, sword in hand. Jess motioned for Epharoth to step back. The skilled General gripped his sword with both hands to the right side of his leg. He waited as the Cavalier drew closer then he slid forward towards the horse and stabbed the sword forward. He then proceeded to drag the sword upwards, cutting a nasty wound through horse and rider. The Horse reared back and fell upon its rider.

The next Cavalier snared as his horse clapped up a cloud of dust in its charge forward. The General stood back, allowing the Prince of Loreis to show his worth. Epharoth ran forward stuck his spear into the ground and used the momentum to launch himself at the Rider, he unsheathed his sword and slashed across the rider's plated chest. The metal peeled apart by the sharpened tool allowed blood to trickle over as the rider fell from his saddle.

The Prince retrieved his lance and sheathed his sword as the two continued their war up the hillside. A riderless horse clapped up dirt as it made its way down the hill.

Inside the Look Off, where the four leaders gathered, five guards lay dead, as Berin stood over them, the three leaders standing behind him. Berin's split helmet lay amongst the dead, like his younger brother, he too had yellow-green hair and wore an indigo-purplish bandanna, unlike his brother however he sported a yellow-green chinstrap instead of a goatee. He smiled slightly as the Felac Desonian soldiers did not know how to approach their highly skilled opponent. The Governor watched, an amused look played upon his lips. Berin swung his spear in one hand to fend off his opponents. The remaining guards stepped back, not wanting to fall victim to his lethal lance.

"Get back!" He bellowed loudly, forcing the guards back even further as he made his way to the door.

The governor, discovering the lone guardsmen's plan, pushed his way through the crowd. He raised his hands as a dark cloud began to swirl about the room.

Berin thrust forward taking advantage of the situation, he stabbed two Felac Desonians, which opened a gap towards the exit. He stood back allowing the Countries Leaders to escape. Lord Abrachan was the last to leave and he was stepping through the door as the Governor released a spray of lightning at Berin.

The King, acting on impulse, leaped in front of the lightning and saved the Lancer.

Berin yelled as he cradled his dying king. "I was suppose to take the blow for you!"

The King raised his hand weakly, "Epharoth . . . Do not forget . . . The Prince."

Berin lowered his dead king and took up his spear as Epharoth and Jess bolted into the room.

"Father!" Epharoth yelled.

General Jess lowered his sword in defeat.

A tear began to form on Berin's face as he gripped the lance in a new form of anger. He lifted the spear and hurled it at the Governor. The Governor disappeared in a plume of smoke and the spear smashed through a stain glass window harmlessly.

Weeks later . . .

Prince Epharoth stood overlooking the country of Loreis. General Jess and Sir Berin stood off to his side.

Jess motioned for his brother to follow him as the two moved out of Epharoth's earshot.

"You know why his Majesty did what his Majesty did. Do not forget about Epharoth. Our future lies in him and his wellbeing. If you keep kicking yourself, you know the Prince will take up arms against Felac Deson JUST to avenge your honour and his father."

"I know . . ." Berin said solemnly.

The General drummed his fingers on his chin, "But why would Felac Deson attack . . . and the Governor was obviously skilled in the Dark Arts."

"And that sort of magic is outlawed in Felac Deson . . . so why did they elect him?" Berin asked.


End file.
